


What Are We Gonna Call It? Tentatodd

by excuseme_howdareyou



Series: Tentatodd Week 2020 [6]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Brotherly Bonding, Crack Treated Seriously, Fixers AU, Gen, If that's what you want to call it, In where Tim Dick and Jason travel the multiverse, Multiverse, Tentacle Monsters, Tentatodd Week 2020, Tumblr: Tentatodd Week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-21
Updated: 2020-04-21
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:08:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23764372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/excuseme_howdareyou/pseuds/excuseme_howdareyou
Summary: Part of the Fixers AU: Tim Dick and Jason fucked up and now there are versions of themselves that are getting misplaced in the multiverse. So being good Robins, they go around finding those versions and bringing them back to their rightful universes. Sometimes, alright most of the time, it doesn't go so smoothly.
Series: Tentatodd Week 2020 [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1700494
Comments: 5
Kudos: 50





	What Are We Gonna Call It? Tentatodd

**Author's Note:**

> Day 6: Demons and Magic  
> Day 7: Free Day
> 
> (Yes, I combined two days. Sue me)

"This is creepy as hell," Jason sang under his breath," And we're all gonna dieeee."

His singing, lovely as it was, was cut off by a loud thwack! as Tim turned around and smacked him on the shoulder. He was aiming for his stupid face, but Jason tilted his body at the last second so it glanced harmlessly off the top of his arm. "You are the opposite of helpful right now," Tim hissed at him. 

"You gotta admit this place is creepy as hell, Timbo," was Jason's reply. He gestured to the damp cave they were walking in, the sound of water dripping off the walls and ever persistent silence. 

"And you saying we're all gonna die is not making it better," Tim glared at him and for spite's sake shone his flashlight right into his face. With a," Hey!" Jason squinted in the suddenly bright light and tried batting it out of Tim's hands. 

There was a brief struggle, their two flashlights dancing wildly in the otherwise dark cave, and Dick counted silently to ten before turning around and shining his megawatt light into both their faces. "Would you both _quit it_?" he glared at the duo," You're _both_ being unhelpful and unless you want me to leave your asses here, then shut up and help me find this Misplaced."

Reminded of why they were there, Tim and Jason begrudgingly acquiesced and resumed their march down the cave tunnel. Satisfied that they would behave (for the next five minutes at least) Dick turned back around to take the lead. He stared at the tablet in his hands, zeroed in on the homing beacon. Good, it's stopped moving. So whichever Misplaced they were searching for at least found a place to rest, giving them a chance to catch up. 

"We really gotta find a better name to call them," Jason remarked.

"Well it's not like Misplaced isn't accurate," Tim pointed out," They've been misplaced form their home world."

"We'll figure out a nickname for him once we find him," Dick called out from the front.

It was how they've been operating so far, finding the misplaced versions of themselves lost in the multiverse, then giving everyone nicknames so they could keep them all straight. Jason still wasn't sure how he felt having the name Triad Jason, but it wasn't the worst they've come up with (Vegas-showgirl-outfit-Tim was still his favorite, much to his Tim's displeasure). 

"I still don't like it," he grumbled," Reminds me too much of the Untitled; it makes it sound like we're hunting some evil entity or something."

Which okay, they _have_ come across a few evil-versions of themselves already. But they didn't know about this one yet!

Tim sighed. "Then what do you suggest we call them?"

Jason thought a moment, then," The Lost Boys!"

"Right," Tim deadpanned," And Dick's Peter Pan."

"And I'm Captain Hook," Jason sounded almost too proud of himself.

"Then what does that make me in this scenario?"

As he should've expected, Jason had an answer ready within an instant," Tinkerbell!"

"Aaaaauuuugh!" Tim sighed, long and exasperated.

* * *

They were getting close, Dick could tell. The beacon had only moved twice since it initially stopped. Each time accompanied with an ominous rumbling heard from deep within the cavern. What the sound came from, they couldn't tell and they all wondered if maybe their Misplaced other had encountered something deep here in the caves. 

" _Why_ would he go down into the caves?" Jason lamented, not for the first time," Why couldn't he be a good Robin and just stay on the surface? But nooooo! As soon as he landed on this world, he _had_ to go down into the creepy caves below Gotham."

"Maybe he's trying to find the Batcave?" Dick offered up," Since, you know, the Manor's kinda destroyed in this world." They still weren't sure what was up with this verse, but an empty crater where the Wayne Manor was supposed to stand was not what they were expecting. Luckily there was only one Misplaced in this world, evident by their atom-detector-thingamajig (it had a real name, but Dick didn't like remembering it) and so they only had to make this one trip, then head back to home-base. 

"Maybe he's just trying to find someplace familiar in a world that's not his own?" Tim guessed. 

It was dark, but they could easily imagine the look of derision on Jason's face. "And you think a dark, creepy cave is considered familiar and comfortable?"

Tim just shrugged. "It's not the weirdest we've had so far," he argued," Remember when we found Merman-Dick at the bottom of Gotham Harbor?"

Dick laughed at the memory. "I have never seen anyone _that_ spitting mad about water pollution before!" he grinned," He was more pissed about the pop cans than he was the actual chemicals!"

"Idiot's lucky he didn't turn radioactive green from swimming in that gunk," Jason grumbled. And the worst part, Merman-Dick almost refused to go back home. Kept saying he wasn't leaving before cleaning up this stupid harbor and it's stupid litter and it honestly took them kidnapping a fricken merman before they convinced him to go home. (Explaining to Bruce as to _why_ they needed a giant aquarium was an interesting conversation...)

"So what are we starting the bet at for this one?" Jason asked," I'm saying ten bucks it's a vampire Timmy."

Tim wrinkled up his nose at the suggestion. "If I was a vampire, I would maybe find an abandoned mansion or something. Not a cave."

"You don't know for sure, Timmers. Gotta stay out of the sun and all that. Cave's a best place for that."

"And you can also paint windows black," Tim turned up his nose in derision," Maybe it's a vampire Jason. _He_ sounds like someone who'd like a nice, damp cave."

This was actually kind of fun, Dick thought and decided to join in. "Fifty says it's another Talon," he bet," They like the quiet and the dark."

That made a lot of sense actually. They were about due for a Talon Tim; the two Talons on the team, Dick and Jason, would probably like another Talon brother of their own. (Arkham Jason had his hands full trying to keep them in line whenever they tried to help 'big brothering').

"Alright, fifty bucks on the table," Jason said," I say it's a vampire. Dick says it's a Talon. What's your bet, Timberlina?"

Tim thought a moment before answering," Orc."

"...What?"

"I'm getting serious Mines of Moria vibe here, so I'm thinking he's an orc." 

Jason made a face. 

"What?" 

Whatever disgusted expression Jason was making did not let up. "Now I'm trying to imagine what an orc version of me looks like," he answered with a frown," And let me tell you, it does _not_ do my beautiful face justice."

* * *

When they finally approached where the beacon was lit, Tim and Jason couldn't help but do a quick fist-bump. "Underground lake, we're definitely in Mines of Moria territory now," Tim grinned. 

"I am so pissed I don't have a sword right now," Jason lamented.

Dick grinned over his shoulder at them. "Too bad none of us have a gold ring either," he said," We could totally reenact the Bilbo-Gollum scene right now."

"Tim's Gollum!"

"Hey!" Smack!

Ignoring their banter yet again, Dick approached the lake edge. He set up his light lantern-style and placed it on a flat rock. Light flooded the cavern, which luckily wasn't too big for the light's edges to reach. The lake wasn't that big, but he still couldn't find where their Misplaced was. If it weren't for their beacon, it would look like they were alone in this cavern. 

_'He's gotta be under the water,'_ Dick guessed, skimming one hand along with water's surface. Ripples broke the placidity of the lake, but nothing came forth. He glanced at the tablet; still hadn't moved. Guess that broke all their guesses. Neither a Talon, vampire, nor Orc lived under water. Would explain why he came to the caves too. Whatever this Misplaced was, he obviously didn't like the Harbor so he came down here searching for the aquafer. Probably the cleanest water in all of Gotham. 

Tim and Jason kneelt down at his sides, staring at the water. "I don't know about you, but I didn't bring any scuba gear," Jason said. 

"How are we going to draw him up to the surface?" Tim asked. 

"Maybe we can ask?" Dick shrugged and picked up two rocks. Rock in each hand, he plunged both into the water and started clacking them together in morse code for 'Hello'

He was two letters in to 'We are here to help' when the Misplaced came up.

"Fuck!" Dick fell back on his ass when a dark grey tentacle burst out of the water and swiped at his face. Two more tentacles shot out, aiming for Tim and Jason, causing all three to back up to safety. 

"Cave Dweller! Cave Dweller!" Tim shrieked, ducking when a tentacle tried grabbing him around the throat. Close by, Jason was grappling with another, both hands wrapped around the end, suckers and all, and trying to keep it the hell away from his face. 

"What the ever loving fuck _is_ this?!" he yelled. 

The end of a grey tentacle wrapped around Dick's ankle, which he swiftly pried off and danced out of its reach. Two more tentacles burst out of the water. And then a head. 

Tim's eyes nearly bulged out of his head. "It's _you_!" he screamed at Jason, who's own head swiveled around to look at the face of the creature in the lake. _'Hooooolyyyyyy shiiiit,'_ Dick gasped. 

It _was_ Jason. From a mass of grey tentacles rose the upper body of a man, his skin grey and riddled with red stripes. But that face was unmistakable. "Jason!" Dick screamed at the tentacled-version of his brother," Stop attacking! We're here to help!"

Tentacle Jason opened his mouth -revealing at least two rows of sharp pointed teeth and boy was that going to give Dick nightmares for weeks- and fucking _screeched_ at them like a banshee. "I don't think monster-me wants to talk right now, Dick!" Jason, _his_ Jason, shouted, his voice startingly loud in the echoes of the cave. 

Dick flipped over some rocks, grabbed a tentacle, and flung it away before it could grab Tim from behind. "Well we've gotta calm him down somehow!" he yelled back," Or else we won't be able to send him back to his own world!"

The tentacled Jason (it was so hard to think of him as the creature in the lake, not with that face) screeched again, a tinny scratching sound that reminded Dick of nails on a chalkboard, and moved closer to the edge of the water. The reason for it soon became obvious to Dick, who saw how his tentacles needed to stretch quite a ways to reach Jason who'd backed up to the walls of the cave. 

"Jason!" he yelled again. 

"What?!" came the angered reply over by the cave wall. 

"Not you! The other one!" Dick pointed at the Jason-creature in the lake. In response to having a finger pointed in his direction, he screamed again and lashed out with at least two tentacles. "Whoa!" Dick barely ducked in time to avoid them removing his head from his shoulders. 

"Yeah, I don't think he speaks English, Dick," Tim commented," Anyone here know how to speak Eldritch?"

No, none of them knew how to speak Eldritch, if that even what this Jason was. Cave Dweller was starting to sound more and more accurate. But they still needed to find a way to somehow send him back to his home. Monster or not, they couldn't leave him in this dimension, away from all that he knew. 

"What about the Force Recall?" he asked his brothers. 

Jason grabbed a tentacle, swung his leg over and around it and slammed it down into the rocks. As he held it down, he glanced up at Dick. "The what now?"

"The recall device!" he shouted back," You know, the button that automatically sends you back to your home world? Can we use that to send him back?"

They each had one, a little device that when flipped on then button pushed, forcibly sent you back to the universe whose atoms matched your own. "It's only got a five foot radius outside the wearer," Tim answered back," If we press it now, we risk only sending back part of his tentacles and not him whole." 

Which would be bad. Very bad. Nobody wants a pissed off monster-Jason who's just had his tentacles cut off portal style. 

"What if _he's_ the wearer?" Dick flung his arm out to gesture at the other-Jason. 

Tim's gaze traveled over to him, looking over the water until his eyes settled on the furious face of a Jason with grey skin and a mouth full of knives. It was hard to tell what kind of expression Tentacle Jason had right now, with both the distance and the running for his life, but Tim couldn't imagine that he'd willingly let them put a device on his chest and then press the button himself. 

One of them would have to do it. 

"Cover for me!" Tim yelled at Dick and Jason. Then before either could say something back, he grabbed the end of a nearby tentacle and gave it a quick tug. "C'mon, I'm right here..." he muttered, gripping on tight with both hands. 

Tentacle Jason noticed Tim had stopped running, stopped fighting, and screeched when he saw him hanging off the end of one of his limbs. Underneath Tim's hand, the tentacle tensed then he found himself hauled up into the air and whipped around like a garden hose run wild. 

Tim let go when he felt the tentacle start its descent, no doubt attempting to slam him upon the ground. As the suckered limb smacked across the ground, both Jason and Dick threw themselves on top of it and held it tight with all their strength. Tim for his part landing on top of it and started running. 

"Can't hold him long!" Jason warned from behind him and the tentacle started wiggling underneath Tim's feet. It wasn't a long distance, just a difficult one, especially when another tentacle came out of nowhere and knocked Tim off. 

"Tim!" Dick yelled when he saw his little brother crash into the water. 

"I'm okay!" Tim held a hand up to reassure him, but soon found that hand grabbed by one of monster-Jason's limbs. And oh, not a tentacle limb. A human one. With more strength than expected, monster-Jason lifted Tim out of the water with one gray hand and held him up til their faces were about level. 

_'Well I suppose that's one way to get close,'_ Tim grimaced, even as he pulled the recall device off his own suit. It was difficult to do with one hand, but for now it seemed like Jason had less interest in killing him and more of curiously staring at him. This close, Tim could see that his skin was entirely grey save for a few red lines on his jaw and temple. His face was upturned into a mix between a sneer and a snarl, mouth open to reveal the two rows of teeth. 

"Uhh, hey," Tim blinked at the creature (cuz he certainly wasn't human)," We're just gonna send you home, okay?" 

The other, the Misplaced, paused and his mouth snapped shut with a clack. _'Oh hey, maybe he **can** understand us,'_ Tim thought, hope spreading through him,' _Maybe he can be reasoned wi- **NOPE**!'_ Just as Tim was getting his hopes up, Not-Jason reached up with his other hand and tried clawing his face off. 

Twisting out of the grip and escaping those black claws, Tim swung around Jason's arm and head until he had him in some variation of a head lock. Jason screeched again and swiped at him with his other hand. From the shoreline, they could hear Dick shouting," Set the force recall, Tim! What are you waiting for?!"

"I think he can somewhat understand me!" he shouted back, even as he caught and twisted Not-Jason's hand when he tried prying him off his shoulders. He screeched, this time possibly in pain, and yanked his hand out of Tim's grip. "What if we just-"

"Just _do_ it!" both Dick and Jason screamed at him. 

"Fine, fine," he grumbled and leaned down to smack the device across Jason's chest. For a brief second, he appeared startled by the metal device suddenly stuck to his chest and stared between it and Tim. Then Tim flipped the switch, it turned green, and slammed his hand down on the button.

* * *

On the shore, Dick and Jason fell backwards when the tentacle they'd been holding vanished beneath their fingertips. Both went crashing to the ground, and except for their harsh breaths, the cave fell utterly silent. 

"Oh good, it worked," Dick panted," Think Timmy's okay?"

Ripping off his helmet because holy fuck that was messed up, Jason gulped in a few deep breaths before answering," He's fine. The recall would've sent him back home. He probably crashed right into the living room, soaking wet and smelling like sushi."

The mental image was a funny one, and surely Bruce and Alfred would have some questions, and before he knew it, Dick was laughing. "What?" Jason turned his head to stare incredulously at his brother," What could you possibly by laughing at?"

Dick's giggling did not subside," I just thought of a name for him, the other you." Jason didn't ask, but that was okay because Dick couldn't keep it contained and blurted out," Tentatodd!" before dissolving into another fit of giggles. 

Jason rolled his eyes then swung with one arm and slammed the recall button on Dick's belt. 


End file.
